Buying advice please 1999 a6 quattro 2.4 estate

[arjay]

Can you folks help please? I have been offered a very nice 1999 a6 2.4 quattro that looks to be in exceptional condition. It has a full service history and the book is stamped up since new. It is a german car imported new for sale in spain where it has been ever since.

Whoever owned the car before clearly looked after it very well indeed. However, it has a high mileage: 140,000 km. This worries me a bit. The dealer looks ok and the car sure drives beautifully. I ca't find a spot of rust anywhere - newish exhausts, tyres etc etc.

I have heard that the cam belts must be changed at set intervals and that the cam shaft oil seals can/do leak? I was going to insist that the belts are changed as part of the pre-sale service and the dealer has agreed to that.

Is there anything else i should look at as an absolute must?

The price is 10,000 euros (£7000) - does this look about right.

Would really appreciate any advice you good people can give.

TIA

Richard

[buster]

140,000 km is only 87,000 miles which is nothing for a car like the A6.

The cam belt should have been changed at 120,000km

Don't buy it if you are after either performance or economy - it doesn't have much of either. (I owned one for two years and it was a lovely car, brilliant in fact - but I was always a little disappointed because it didn't go too well and gulped petrol far too heavily.

The price is high - a 2001 X reg with 87,000 miles is worth
Dealer£5,380 Private£5,180 Part Ex£5,070 Trade£4,770 Cost New£24,675

You shouldn't find any rust - Audis don't rust unless they have been damaged.

All of the Audi A6's I have ever owned have leaked oil, usually from the cam adjusters. I have just been quoted the alalrming sum of £2,300 to sort this and a petrol leak from an injector.

An independant Audi service centre has also quoted £300? Shop around for servicing/repair.

Can you folks help please? I have been offered a very nice 1999 a6 2.4 quattro that looks to be in exceptional condition. It has a full service history and the book is stamped up since new. It is a german car imported new for sale in spain where it has been ever since.

Whoever owned the car before clearly looked after it very well indeed. However, it has a high mileage: 140,000 km. This worries me a bit. The dealer looks ok and the car sure drives beautifully. I ca't find a spot of rust anywhere - newish exhausts, tyres etc etc.

I have heard that the cam belts must be changed at set intervals and that the cam shaft oil seals can/do leak? I was going to insist that the belts are changed as part of the pre-sale service and the dealer has agreed to that.

Is there anything else i should look at as an absolute must?

The price is 10,000 euros (£7000) - does this look about right.

Would really appreciate any advice you good people can give.

TIA

Richard

[arjay]

Buster - thanks for the info - very helpful indeed. You have helped me to make up my mind which was leaning towards not buying the car - now I definitely won't buy it. Another dealer says he can get me a 1.9 turbo deisel A4 so I may go and have a look at that when he has tracked it down. It should be a bit newer and with less mileage.

BTW - I have noticed that second-hand cars here in Spain are much more expensive than UK or German equivalents - not sure why.

Thanks again for the tips.

Richard

[WAYNEO]

hi mate i got my.2.5dti 180 bhp with 89.000 2001 reg x for £4.500..3 months ago WITH full audi service

price seems high to me .also as this is my second a6 and i have had serious electrical fault with both get it checked out first ..

but i personaly would not part with 7 grand for that motor ..no way

[arjay]

Wayneo - thanks for the advice - it's consistent with the posts above. I am now looking elsewhere. If you ever come out to the costa del sol, email me and I'll buy you a pint (goes for you too Buster!)

RJ